Dojo Discernments
Hi all! Here is your weekly edition of Dojo Discernments where I share nuggets of thought earned on the mats this week.
Did You Know?
You most likely know the omoplata, you’ve probably hit it countless times in training. But do you know what the word actually means?
In Portuguese, omoplata literally translates to “shoulder blade.” Omo means shoulder, and plata means plate or blade.
Lately, I’ve been tinkering with omoplata variations that focus on pinning the opponent’s shoulders and elbows to the mat ,blending judo & jiu-jitsu philosophy. Somewhere along the way, I paused and asked myself, “What does omoplata even mean?”
That question led me here. To a deeper understanding of Omoplata.
Song I'm Listening To
If you train with me you know I like to play high tempo, portuguese, or old hip hop to train to.
The song I've been listening to as of late in that track is called De La Vida.
When in the gym though it sounds like De La Riva and has been the source of many laughs.
Conceding
Do you know how many athletes have yet to learn the techniques necessary to win because they've been resisting them too much, be it leg locks or takedowns? Many
Do you know how many athletes have lost world championships because they weren't healthy enough to compete? Many
What all this has in common is the act of conceding. In practice often times tapping to an attack or going with a throw is the best choice you can make. You learn what the attack is supposed to feel like and maybe even more important, you learn to take the attack without collecting injury.
In conceding you often learn more than resisting.
Heavy Like...
A cue I have been using as of late on the mats has been "Heavy Like Mud." The idea is to be "sticky" to fill in all the empty space, then to settle on in. I then evolved the cue to heavy like "mortar." Mortar being paste that binds building blocks and fills gaps in masonry walls.
The key to being heavy isn't in force or effort, it's in the elimination of space and settling in.
Who I've been Studying
Coach John Wooden of the UCLA basketball team who won 10 national titles and coached the likes of Bill Walton and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Coach Wooden labels success as “Success is peace of mind which is the direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best of which you are capable.”
If you're going to go down a sports rabbit hole, I encourage you to follow this one.
Take care and God bless!
- Isaac
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